In this type of prolonged and deep samadhi, it is unlikely for any changes to occur in the cognitive organs within the realm of desire. However, once one progresses to the realm of form, especially after the third and fourth dhyana, certain changes in the cognitive organs begin to take place. What does it mean for changes to occur in the cognitive organs? It refers to the development of superpowers, such as clairvoyance, clairaudience, telepathy, and retrocognition.
However, do not assume these superpowers are suddenly granted like a prize. They develop gradually and can be quite unstable. Sometimes they are very powerful, and other times weaker. You might pick up on someone's thoughts one day, but not the next. These stages vary greatly. This type of superpower is called an expansion of the scope and range of cognition. For example, a mature and stable clairvoyance can see the three-thousand-fold universe as clearly as looking at an Amla fruit in the palm of one's hand. In plain English, that is like seeing the entire three-thousand-fold universe as clearly as a guava in your hand.
The Buddha had a disciple named Anuruddha who fell asleep during the Buddha's teachings. The Buddha became angry and rebuked him, "You fall asleep when I am teaching the Dharma? If you keep doing this, you will become a clamshell for a thousand years and be very stupid." Everything the Buddha said would come true, so Anuruddha was both afraid and ashamed. When he returned home, he kept his eyes open and practiced, not sleeping at night for many days. Finally, he blinded himself. The Buddha was heartbroken and taught him how to cultivate the divine eye. As a result, Anuruddha became the first to achieve the divine eye. He could see the three-thousand-fold universe as if he were looking at an Amla fruit in the palm of his hand, indicating that his cognitive ability was very powerful. Since it relates to his eye, it means the forms he saw, shapes and colors, were very extensive, and his cognition was vast.
Different eyes have different cognitive scopes. What is cognitive scope? It refers to the range of things one can perceive and understand. For instance, within the human cognitive scope, the world has always been the way it is. We cannot perceive how many sentient beings or bardo beings are in a cup, but the Divine Eye can. This is the difference in cognitive scope.
For instance, is it possible for us to see bardo beings using a microscope? No, because their very nature has changed. However, the Divine Eye can see them. Maudgalyayana once saw ten thousand bardo beings in a cup of water, which frightened the monks in the sangha at that time so much that they were afraid of drinking water at all. As a result, the Buddha forbade him from speaking about such things. As another example, we can fly in the sky by airplane, but our bodies still cannot fly on their own. Interestingly, many monks in the sangha at that time could fly, but the Buddha eventually forbade them from doing so. These abilities are what the secular world sees as "superpowers."
We often see many superhero movies made by Hollywood, and sometimes they borrow concepts from Buddhist scriptures. The American film "X-Men" in particular features abilities like shapeshifting and passing through walls. However, these films fail to provide a clear explanation of these powers.
Even though some films, such as "Doctor Strange," attempt to portray superpowers through visual storytelling, they are still unable to fully and truly represent the superpowers described by the Buddha and those that arise from meditative practices.
Excerpted from: Cognition and Expression Part Two
